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Molly parked her father's car and stared through the windshield and across the parking lot at the looming building. Leaning back in the driver's seat she put her hands over her face and collected herself briefly before opening the car door and getting out. Locking it behind her Molly tightened her grip on her bag and squared her shoulders before trudging through the snowy Chicago parking lot and towards the hospital doors.
Molly was cleaning up the kitchen after dinner when her father came in.
"Hey hun?"
"Yea Dad?"
"I just wanted to let you know, I just got a fax from the building manager at your apartment. Rick's stuff has been all cleared out. He's handed over his keys and everything."
"That was easy. It's only been two months."
"Let's just say he was persuaded."
"Did you bribe him Daddy?"
"Fuck no. I'm not wasting money on that scum bag. Blackmail is much easier." Molly choked on the water she had just swallowed as her father said that. He smirked in response as if to say "I'm not telling you if that was a joke or not."
"okayyyy. I'm not going to ask."
"It's better if you don't. What are your plans tonight? Saturday night, aren't the guys back in town?"
"Yea. For the past four days. They've been doing some more recording stuff in the city. I'm supposed to hang out with Joe and Max tonight. Pete tomorrow."
"Alright, that's fine. I'll be home anyway, but if something comes up I have a sitter I can call. Don't change your plans."
"Oh you mean I can hang out with the people who wanted me to stay in Chicago...even though they were going to be Los Angeles for the past two months?"
"Something like that," her father replied with a smirtk, "I've got some more work to do so I'll be in my office."
"Yea Ok I'm going to head upstairs and clean up and change before I meet Joe and Max. Oh! Can I take your car?"
"Yea. Keys are hanging up. Night hun."
"Night Dad."

Molly stepped through the automatic doors and into the emergency room. Looking around she suddenly felt like she was seventeen again. The waiting room was fairly crowded with people, all of them needed some sort of help. Pulling her coat tighter around her as though to protect her from the world Molly once again gathered her courage. Her feet felt like lead as she approached the intake desk. Sitting behind the desk was a pleasent looking woman who smiled at Molly as she stopped at the desk.
"Can I help you hun?"
"Yes...I was wondering if you could direct me."

Molly was flipping through a magazine on her futon while waiting for Joe or Max to call her. She was beginning to get incredibly frustrated as they were almost an hour late. Shrugging Molly turned back to her magazine as she wasn't exactly looking forward to going out into the Chicago winter. Twenty minutes later around eleven p.m. Molly was dozing off on her futon when her cell phone rang. Jumping slightly Molly grabbed it and looked at the caller ID.
"Hey Joe. What's up? Where are we going?"
"Molly...umm...fuck. I can't do this. Talk to Max."
"Joe?!" Molly listened to silence on the other end before Joe's girlfriend's teary voice came on the line.
"Molly? You there?"
"Max...what the hell? Are you guys alright?"
"We're fine. Molly something happened."
"Fucking tell me already."
"Pete's in the hospital. You need to get down here right now, it's not looking too good."
"What happened?"
"Just get down here."
"Max. What. Happened. You need to tell me right now."
"I'm not exactly sure. Neither is Joe. Andy called him and Andy didn't know anything at that point other then Pete was in the hospital. No one has really been forthcoming with info. All I know is that his mom looks like a wreck, his father doesn't look much better either. Molly, you just, you need to get down here. ok?"
"I'll be there in twenty."
"Ok..good. I'll try and find out something for you before then."
"Thanks Max. Call me if anything changes." Molly responded and hung up.
Molly sat there not moving for a few seconds before grabbing a pillow and putting it over her face she screamed into it. A few seconds later the tears started, but only for a few seconds.
"No. O'Conell. No. Not yet, he's fine. The fucker probably jumped off something and broke a leg or whatever. Max and Joe just don't have all the info yet." With that thought keeping her sane Molly grabbed her sneakers and tied them quickly before hurrying downstairs to grab her coat, purse, and father's car keys.

"Direct you where sweetie? Are you ok? You're looking slightly pale."
"Oh...what? Umm...Peter Wentz's room? He was brought in a few hours ago. Is he in a room yet?" The thought that he might still be in the ER occured to Molly suddenly and she started looking around for her friends or Pete's family in the waiting area. The charge nurse started shuffling through files while Molly was doing her frantic visual search.
"Are you family dear?"
"I'm his sister." The words came out of Molly's mouth so fast that the nurse didn't even think to question it.
"Room 415 dear."
"Isn't the fourth floor ICU?"
"Yes." The nurse stated matter of factly to Molly.
"Oh...thank you." Molly's normally assured voice came out shaken and uneasy as she turned her back and started walking towards the elevator banks.

"PETE! Would you shut up for a second."
"Sorry." was the older boy's reply.
"Thank you. So when are you guys coming back?"
"Two days. You and me are gonna have some sweet hangs."
"Yup. Although I'm supposed to go to a movie with Chris and Kate that day, so it'll have to be after."
"I knew I shouldn't have introduced you two."
"What? I like him. He's chill. A little nuts, but hey it takes one to know one."
"True. Eh, doesn't matter. We're gonna be super busy for the first few days we're back anyway. But pencil me in for Sunday afternoon."
"Will do. What are we gonna do anyway?"
"Chicago stuff."
"I'm sick of Chicago stuff. I've been doing Chicago stuff for two months. I could have been doing LA stuff and hanging with you guys but noooo someone didn't want to tell me they were going to be in LA and told me to stay home."
"Yea, well you needed to be re-mid-west-ified. LA warps your brain. See and because I know that it'll never happen to me."
"Sure it won't. I'll believe that in a few years as long as you aren't dating any pop stars."
"Ok not gonna happen. I've got one girl and one girl only. You know that....why are you laughing?"

The elevator doors opened on the fourth floor and Molly stepped off. Looking at the panel in front of her she turned and walked in the direction the arrows we're pointing her.

"So Chris," Molly puntuated by pointing a french fry at him. "What's the dirt on Pete? He's been acting all weird lately."
"You've noticed too?"
"Oh yea. He doesn't even want to see me until Sunday."
"Me either. I have no fucking clue why."
Molly shrugged at her friends ponderence. And then started giggling when two girls came up and asked him if he was HeyChris. And then choked when they asked her if she was Tinkerbell. And then threw a french fry at Chris when he started laughing at her.

Molly peeked around the corner and then pulled her head back once she saw the grouping of people waiting down the hall. Mr. and Mrs. Wentz, Andrew, Hillary, Max, Jeanae, Chris, Kate, Patrick, Joe, Andy, Charlie, Dirty, some blonde Molly didn't recognize and Bob McLynn.
"well...the gangs all here." Molly muttered wondering what the fuck Pete had done this time, still refusing to believe it was anything too terrible. Taking a deep breath Molly stepped around the corner and started walking towards them. Patrick was the first to notice her and as he looked up their eyes locked. His red rimmed and worried, Molly's still dry and more then a little bit confused.

"Ugh." Molly said stomping her feet.
"You ok?" Elyse called through the dressing room door.
"Yea...I guess. Does this look awful." Molly stepped out of the dressing room and looked at her gobsmacked friend.
"You are not seriously contemplating buying that monstrosity are you?"
"That's what I thought you'd say. I miss Patrick."
"uhh...Ok. And wearing ugly clothes will get him back? Molly I don't think anything short of re-doing the past three years is going to get him back."
"Thanks." Molly responded while tugging on the white sweater. "I need a white sweater."
"Why? And not 'cause it's white. That's fine. but why do you NEED one."
"Pete's dragging me to some black and white party or something on Monday night."
"Ok....there are some very nice white blouses out there...and what the hell happened to his underage pet?"
"He said it had to be a sweater. and it's an "off" week."
"Ok, I think he's yanking your chain. This is Pete we're talking about."
"...good point. asshole."

Molly stopped in front of the group and looked around silently waiting for someone to fill her in. When her friends just shot looks back and forth at each other Molly finally spoke,
"Well...what happened?"
At Molly's question all eyes not belonging to Pete's parents turned to look at Patrick, whose response was to stand up and walk away wiping at his eyes the whole time. Molly got a sinking feeling in her stomach at that disply. Not because once again Patrick had blown her off; but because Patrick didn't seem able to tell her, Patrick knew what Pete meant to her--same as him--in this case he would have filled her in. Molly's eyes searched out the next likely candidate for an answer. Chris stood up and nodded for her to follow him. Molly slipped her coat off and placed it on a chair before following Chris down the hallway.
"What the hell happened?" She hissed once they were far enough away from Pete's parents.
"Pete OD'd in a Best Buy parking lot."
"...WHat?!" Molly managed to stop herself from screaming the whole word as her hand flew to her mouth. "Jesus Christ. Of course he did." Molly closed her eyes and leaned her head against the wall. Chris reached over and squeezed her shoulder.
"That's all I really know. Apparently he called his mom and she was freaked about how slurry he sounded, she called Patrick and asked if he knew where Pete was. He did. She called an ambulance, because she's not stupid and knows what a fuck up that kid can be. Patrick called Pete...while driving to the Best Buy. So while Patrick hasn't really talked to well anyone yet, I'm pretty sure he saw it all go down. Because he called Andy, and Andy told me that Patrick was there before the ambulance."
"Fuck me."
"Yea pretty much."
"I'm gonna kill him. You realize that right?"
"Get in line."
"I'm guessing by the fact that no one is in hysterics that he's going to pull through?"
"Yea, we got the word right before you got here."
"Good. That means I can kill him."
Chris chuckled a bit at her morbid humor.
"I'm gonna go sit back down, you ok?"
"Can I go see him?"
"Probably if you sneak in. Room 415." Chris said pointing at a room a few feet down from them.
"Yea. They told me downstairs. I'll be quick."
Chris walked back towards their friends and Molly turned and quickly walked to Pete's room. Pushing the door open and closing it behind her she tip toed in. Sitting down next to the bed she looked Pete over.
His normally tan skin was pale and blueish looking. His eyes looked sunken. There were multiple IV drips going in. And there was still a bit of black around his mouth from the charcoal they had used.
"You got the old school street level stomach pumping huh Peter?"
"Yup." was the croaked reply she recieved.
"Shit! I thought you were sleeping?"
"Nah, I'm kinda freaked. And you know I don't sleep as it is."
"I should fucking kill you you know that?"
"Get in line."
"Yea, I've heard. I'll let your Mom take first crack at you. Don't worry."
"Could you not give me a hard time?"
"Are you out of your FUCKING MIND? And gee doesn't this conversation seem familiar?"
"It was an accident. I took too many pills."
"Yea ok."
"What its the truth." Pete insisted to Molly.
"Would you please remember who you're talking to here? Been there, done that, bought the t-shirt. An accidental overdose only happens when you're shooting heroin or doing a line of coke or taking a tab of acid or an exctacy pill that isn't really X. You do not ACCIDENTALY over dose on a bottle of prescription medication Peter."
"Well I did."
"Oh you accidentally poured a bottle of pills down your throat? And of course had no clue what would happen."
Pete remained silent at her final statement.
"Yea, that's what I thought. And now that my pissed off, self rightous rant is over. Do not ever do this to me again Peter. I think it'd kill me if I ever lost you."
"Well now you know what it feels like."
"Stop joking. Have you seen any of them outside?"
"Just my mom and dad. And I pretended to be asleep. You should feel special."
"Did you ever think about any of them when you accidently took too many pills? Esspecially about Patrick? Pete I have never seen him look so much of a wreck, not even when I broke up with him. The boy came crying and begging to me and he didn't look as shaken as he did when I saw him out there."
"Did you ever think of what your actions would do to Patrick."
"Ok...Mr. Attention Whore stop trying to turn this away from you. I'm so furious at you right now. What? I finally came back to planet earth so you decided to leave it? Selfish bastard. That's what you are. Don't forget it."
"Are you done?"
"Yes."
"Good. It was an accident Molly. A dumb one, but an accident none the less. It won't happen again."
"Fine," Molly rolled her eyes as she spoke, "It was an accident and it will never happen again. I have to go before they drag me out of here. Get some sleep." Molly turned her back and walked out of the hotel room as stealthily as she had walked in. "Fucking liar" she hissed to herself as the door closed behind her.
Walking back down the hallway to where everyone was waiting she stopped in front of Pete's parents,
"Can I get you two anything?" She asked them.
"No Molly, we're fine. Thank you though." Mrs. Wentz replied. Molly nodded and continued down a bit to where her friends were waiting. Sitting down next to Chris she turned to him and whispered to him and Jeanae,
"He's claiming it was an accident. We're gonna have to keep our eyes on him."
"Yea, I know." he replied looking at her with a stressed frown.
"An accident?" Jeanae asked, "Does he think we're dumb?"
"No. He thinks we'll want to believe the easiest denial filled lie he can throw at us. And like I told him, been there. done that. bought the t-shirt."

An hour later when Patrick hadn't come back to the group, and Molly had been getting glared at by the strange blonde Molly finally had had enough. Tapping Andy's arm from where he now sat next to her Molly leaned over and whispered, "Who is THAT? 'cause if she doesn't stop eyeing me I'm gonna deck her."
"Nice to have you back Molly. That's Anna." was the drummer's response.
"..Anna? Am I supposed to know this person?"
"Umm...She's, uh...Patrick's girlfriend."
"Oh...Well, that's, interesting. Recent development?"
"Few months."
"Right...ok. So anyway, what is she doing HERE? Pete has never mentioned her before, so I'm pretty sure she isn't real good friends with him. He's never had any qualms about informing me of Patrick's love life before."
"They aren't real good friends. She came with Patrick and just hasn't left yet despite living in the area. I think she's paranoid about you being here."
"Selfish bitch. I'm not that self centered. I'm here because of Pete. Not Patrick."
"She's actually really nice Mol. But you probably don't want to hear that, so I'll shut up."
"blah. I want coffee." Molly chose to ignore Andy's information that she was nice. Standing up she turned and said quietly so as not to disturb those who had fallen asleep, "Does anyone want any coffee or anything to eat? I'm going to head down to the cafeteria." A few affirmative nods and a written list of a few things to bring back Molly headed down to the cafeteria with her purse.
Walking out of the elevator and onto the hospital's first underground level floor where the cafeteria was Molly walked down the hall and through the swinging doors. Walking over to the food section she loaded a tray up with everything she would need and paid. Walking into the seating area Molly headed towards an open table to drink her coffee and eat a muffin when she spotted a figure sitting in a corner booth with his face in his hands, baseball cap tipped in just a way so as to shield him and hood pulled all the way up. Tightening her shoulders Molly changed her direction and headed for the booth.
Once she reached it she paused, "Is that seat taken?"
Patrick looked up with red-rimmed eyes and tear streaked face and answered, "no, you can sit."
"Thanks. want something?" She asked gesturing at the full tray.
"Sure." He mumbled and reached out for a muffin.
"So...."
"Yea...so..."

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A/N: Title is from: Anti-Freeze & Aeroplanes by The Moffatts

This is the beginning of Part 5. Hope you enjoy it.

**One thing though--and I can't believe I'm saying this: but with the amount of views my stories get--I'd really love to see that many reviews. Those that review I LOVE my readers. but, well it makes me wonder when I see like 450 views on a chapter and all of 7 reviews. Just throwing that out there.

oh and btw: 3am updates are what happen when I can't sleep. I'm just gonna be a zombie @ the hush sound tomorrow..and being that tomorrow is Sunday, I shall be a zombie on monday as well from post-show hangover. yes!